HP today announced new high-performance computing platforms designed to help midsize businesses compete more effectively by taking advantage of the powerful technologies that have transformed engineering and research in some of the world’s largest enterprises. Highlighting the launch at the Supercomputing 2007 tradeshow is the HP Cluster Platform Workgroup System, which offers affordable, high-performance computing without the hassle, complexity and expense of an enterprise-level system. Built on the HP BladeSystem c3000, the system delivers almost a teraflop per second of computing power while occupying only two square feet of floor space. Ideal for HPC applications in computer-aided engineering (CAE), oil and gas, financial services, and life and material sciences environments, the HP CP Workgroup System enables customers to run larger and more difficult compute-intensive workloads faster – providing seven times as much simulation performance as a single-node system. Further expanding its midsize business technology offerings, HP also introduced midsize Solution Blocks for material science and CAE, and a high-density x86 server ideal for HPC environments. “HP is extending the power of high-performance computing to midsize businesses by delivering easy-to-use and affordable solutions that allow customers to stay ahead of the competition,” said Winston Prather, vice president and general manager, High Performance Computing, HP. “In September, HP introduced the BladeSystem c3000, the industry’s first compact, economical, all-in-one blade environment designed specifically for midsize companies. With today’s news, our goal is to be the one supplier to address all IT needs for midmarket customers.” Bringing high-performance computing power to midsize companies The HP CP Workgroup System is built on the most versatile blade enclosure for midsize businesses, remote sites, branch offices – the HP BladeSystem c3000, aka “Shorty.” Engineered to fit into small spaces, this energy-efficient blade solution uses power supplies that plug into standard wall outlets, integrated network cables and easy-to-use management tools. Using this hardware as a foundation for midsize customers dealing with HPC workloads, HP has packaged integrated solution modules that feature powerful servers, interconnects, optional storage, power and cooling management, operating systems, middleware, and cluster management software. HP also announced the first of several planned Solution Blocks available via HP’s application resellers to offer midsize customers additional support and easy deployment. For customers in materials sciences, the Accelrys Materials Studio solution, configured with the CP Workgroup System, Linux and XC Cluster management software, is delivered ready to go by HP and Accelrys certified resellers. For CAE customers, the ANSYS FLUENT CFD solution configured with the CP Workgroup System and Windows Compute Cluster Server is promoted by ANSYS and its channels. The ANSYS FLUENT CFD applications achieve seven times performance improvement on a fully configured CP Workgroup system when compared to performance on a single desktop. Both solutions help increase productivity in simulation and modeling to achieve lower total cost of ownership. “With HP’s Cluster Platform 3000 running Windows Compute Cluster Server, Calloway Golf can model several critical aspects of club head design before ever cutting a mold,” said Matt Erickson, senior manager, Product Analysis and Measurements, Callaway Golf. “We can determine performance characteristics and do extensive failure analysis before we build the first prototype. This reduces the cost of developing cutting-edge composite, titanium and stainless steel parts, and reduces time-to-market because we significantly reduce the number of cycles required to optimize a design. This is a tremendous benefit for Callaway, and ensures that we will continue to lead the market in innovative club design.” New server ideal for HPC customers HP additionally announced a new rack server ideal for midsize HPC customers. The HP ProLiant DL160 G5 is designed for optimal price and performance in compute-intensive environments. The server is based on the Intel 5400 chipset and supports quad-core processors. The server is optimized for high-performance compute applications and enhances the system’s performance and compute capability. The server includes input/output, memory and management features that make it ideal for customers deploying high-density solutions for scale-out applications. The DL160 G5 will be available in HP Cluster Platform configurations for HPC applications. Availability and pricing The HP Cluster Platform Workgroup System is available today and the HP ProLiant DL160 G5 is expected to be available during the first quarter of 2008. A CP Workgroup System price quote is available at www.hp.com/go/CP-Express. Pricing for the HP DL160 G5 will start at under $1,500. The HP Cluster Platform Workgroup System is part of the HP Unified Cluster Portfolio for HPC, which features integrated compute, storage and visualization capabilities in a comprehensive range of solutions, from entry level to full capability. More information on HP’s high-performance computing solutions is available at www.hp.com/go/hptc. More information on HP’s solutions for midsize businesses is available at www.hp.com/go/midsizebusiness.